Star Wars: The Old Republic update brings new challenges and a free pet

Legacy system goes live alongside new battles and rewards

EA has just released Star Wars: The Old Republic's Legacy update. The new content includes a new Flashpoint, Operation and Warzone, all of them geared toward providing a challenge for high-level players who've got to grips with everything The Old Republic's thrown at them so far. It also includes the debut of the game's “Legacy” system, allowing players to link their characters in a family tree for transference of skills and attributes.

Above: We know what you're thinking, and you should be ashamed for having such a cruel, practical, canonical idea

To celebrate the update, Bioware's offering 30 days of free playtime for Level 50 players with a verified current account, and one week of free time for those who've let their SwtOR commitments slip – without having to go through re-subscription. Claim either of these rewards and you'll receive the same free gift offered to all other active players: a complementary Tauntaun Ram pet, which regrettably is far too cute to cut open and climb inside but will doubtless impress new players in a few months when everyone in the game doesn't have one.